Greater Manchester is to become one of the first places in the country to set up an ethics committee to oversee policing.

The move, designed to boost public trust in the way officers carry out their work, follows news of three investigations into the force’s conduct launched by watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, following allegations made by a whistleblower.

They want to encourage greater public scrutiny of police operations through the independent panel which opens to applications - from both within and outside the force - for membership today.

The IPCC announced last week that it is investigating GMP on the following three claims: whether GMP misled families and the public when human tissue from the victims of serial killer Harold Shipman were disposed of; the actions of a detective chief inspector and whether they put public safety at risk as well as the officer’s alleged unauthorised bugging of a GMP office; and claims that an investigation into alleged sexual abuse was poorly handled and alleged failings covered up by GMP.

Launching the ethics committee, Mr Lloyd said: “Fostering the public’s trust in the police has been one of my main priorities since taking office in 2012. By having an ethics committee, myself and the chief constable are making an explicit and public commitment to transparent, ethical policing in Greater Manchester that will be subjected to rigorous independent scrutiny.

“We have the best police service in the world and I believe GMP is the best police service in the country. But public confidence in policing has been damaged by issues which include Metropolitan Police’s mishandling of the Stephen Lawrence murder inquiry, undercover officers going rogue and the police response in the aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy.

“By having effective and rigorous debate and scrutiny in the field of ethics, it means that here in Greater Manchester the public can have the confidence to know that the police service will face difficult issues head on - and we can make the best even better.”

Sir Peter added: “For too long policing has been prepared to operate in a grey area on the argument that the end justifies the means. Things have happened in the past where officers carried out activity in the political or social environment at the time which are now being robustly challenged.

An ethics committee will give those working in policing an independent forum where they can bring issues of policy or practise which cause them ethical dilemmas and where they believe what they are being asked to do is not ‘the right thing’.”

Applications for membership of the committee can be made to the police commissioner’s office by April 25.

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